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First Steps

Planning and managing a resource centre with limited prior knowledge or training in information management is a challenging task. Therefore, we have put together this simple guideline, listing a variety of issues to be considered when setting-up a resource centre. Each section includes links to further information. This is not a fixed process to be followed, but rather a pool of steps that can be used to create your own plan.

When setting-up a basic resource centre, it is crucial to plan well from the beginning. Planning is an ongoing process that needs to be continuously worked on throughout the years.

1.1 Assessing the Need for a Resource Centre

In a first step, it has to be determined whether there is a need for a new resource centre at all. There are various tools to be used for this assessment, e.g. community mapping, focus group discussions, public meetings, etc. If there is a need to establish a centre, the following questions could be considered:

What kind of information do they need? (Subjects, local/national/regional/international, formats, etc.)

What do they need the information for, e.g. work or leisure?

What kind of information is already available? How is this information being shared? Are people satisfied with this?

What would be the best way to disseminate information?

1.2 Form a Library / Advisory Committee

How will a library / advisory committee be formed?

Who will be on the committee? How many members will be there? How will the members be selected?

How will decisions be made? (Consensus, voting, quorum, etc.)

What will be the rules for the committee? What will be the rules for meeting attendance? How will changes be made to the rules?

1.3 Sustainable and Strategic Planning

Vision: Your vision communicates what your organization believes to be the ideal condition for your community – how things would look if the issues important to you were perfectly addressed. This utopian dream is generally described by one or more phrases or vision statements, which are brief proclamations that convey the community's dreams for the future.

Mission: An organization's mission statement describes what the group is going to do, and why it is going to do that. Mission statements are similar to vision statements, but they're more concrete, and they are definitely more "action-oriented" than vision statements.

External Environment: Who are the key information providers? What links with other organisations might be important? What impact might other organisations have on your resource centre? What impact might technology developments have?

Creating Objectives: Objectives are the specific measurable results of the initiative. An organization's objectives offer specifics of how much of what will be accomplished by when.

Developing Strategies

Developing an Action Plan: It should include what actions or changes will occur, who will carry out these changes, by when they will take place, and for how long, what resources are needed to carry out these changes and how communication will take place. It is useful to have separate action plans for each area of the resource centre’s work.

Communication: What are the different audiences to be communicated with? What messages need to be communicated to them? How can these messages be communicated?

Policies and Procedures: Have written polices been produced? What kind of policies and rules are needed?

Resources: Are resources available to implement the planned activities? If not, can they be acquired? Are estimated resources realistic?

Monitoring and Evaluation: How will the strategic plan be monitored and evaluated? Who will be responsible for this?

Sustainability: How can we ensure sustainability over time? This includes environmental support, funding stability, maintaining partnerships, organizational capacity, program evaluation and program adaption.

Information for this section is compiled from:

Healthlink Worldwide: Resource Center Manual: How to set up and manage a Resource Center. London: Healthlink Worldwide, 2003.

“It is important to collect only materials that will be useful. Materials that are not relevant to users, or that are badly written or translated, are a waste of time and space. The collection needs to be balanced in terms of subject areas and formats, to meet the needs of all users, not just some” (Healthlink Worldwide, 2003).

4.1 Developing a Collection Policy

What are relevant subject areas?

What formats are required?

What are the different reading levels that need to be addressed?

How long should materials be kept for? And when should some be removed?

In which language(s) will materials be collected?

4.2 Selection of Materials

Who is selecting the materials?

What is the content?

Who is the material for?

Is the information accurate and up to date?

How much does it cost?

Does the resource centre lack materials on this subject?

4.3 Obtaining Materials

Are there locally published materials?

Are there donor or charitable organisations in-country that could assist?

Where will the materials come from? See list of book international book donation agencies.

Try not to make the organisation of information and materials too difficult. Keep it simple.

5.1 Classification

How will the collection be organised? Dewey Decimal Classification? General subject order? ALADIN classification?

Is there a need to extend the chosen classification?

5.2 Keywords

Which keywords will be used? ALADIN keywords? Other specific keywords or a general list of keywords?

To assign keywords, look at the material carefully to identify the main subjects covered. Do not rely on the title.

5.3 Cataloguing

Is there a need to catalogue the materials?

How should the materials be catalogued? Manually? On a computer? Consider IT equipment, electricity and internet access.

A catalogue may contain information about author, title and sub-title, edition, series, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, number of pages and format, illustrations, subject (keywords), accession number and classification number. Choose which sections are really needed in your own resource centre.

5.4 Shelving and Displaying

Good shelving makes it easy for users to find what they need, for staff to do a stock check and enables staff to support users more efficiently.

How will the materials be labelled?

How will the materials be displayed?

Information for this section is compiled from:

Healthlink Worldwide: Resource Center Manual: How to set up and manage a Resource Center. London: Healthlink Worldwide, 2003.

“One of the most important tasks of a resource centre is to make information available and encourage people to use it, by offering a range of information services. Information services should improve access to information, not only for people who can come and visit the resource centre, but also for those who are based far away, or who cannot come in for other reasons.” (Healthlink Worldwide, 2003) Always consider the results of the needs assessment when developing such services or carry out a new assessment if needed.

7.1 Workshops and Trainings

Will there be a space to conduct workshops and trainings? Will the centre facilitate these? Or will there be a possibility for others to rent the space?

7.2 Newsletters

7.3 Internet / Computer Services

7.4 Introductory Sessions for Users

7.5 Information Campaigns

7.6 Lending Service

Will it be possible to lend and borrow books?

Who will be allowed to borrow materials? Will there be restrictions?

How many materials can be borrowed at a time? And for how long?

Will there be fees for late returns or damage of materials?

Will there be a membership programme? Will it be free of charge? If not, will there be discounts for certain groups, e.g. students?

7.7 Advocacy and Promotion

How can the centre be promoted within the target community?

How can users be involved, e.g. through suggestion boxes?

7.8 Networks

If there is a clear focus on adult learning and literacy or lifelong learning, consider becoming a member of ALADIN

Networks can be useful for sharing information about new resources, providing document supply services, sharing experiences, and collaborations

Whom can the centre collaborate with to provide trainings or workshop? Or to expand the collection?

Information for this section is compiled from:

Healthlink Worldwide: Resource Center Manual: How to set up and manage a Resource Center. London: Healthlink Worldwide, 2003.